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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27376927">Sleeping On Couches</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamesSunderlandsPillow/pseuds/JamesSunderlandsPillow'>JamesSunderlandsPillow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drama, F/M, Humor, Inkuru, Jazmin Quezada, Romance, Sex, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:02:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27376927</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamesSunderlandsPillow/pseuds/JamesSunderlandsPillow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After another one night stand, Jazz takes time to think about what she really wants. (Based on the OC of Inkuru, includes sexual content).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sleeping On Couches</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Hello everyone! This is a first for me. I've never posted any "original" fiction publicly, and I wasn't even sure how to go about it tbh xD</b>
</p><p>
  <strong>However, the amazing inkuru_3 on Twitter won my raffle on there, and he requested this amazing prompt about his OC that you guys will soon come to know. Thanks so much for the prompt, Inkuru! :D</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>One quick disclaimer, but this story will have a little smut. All characters are 18 and older, all that junk.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>With all that out of the way, please enjoy!</strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Sleeping on Couches</strong>
</p><p>The night started off good, at least. Started, anyway. Now? Now it's just depressing for Jazz as some guy, a guy whose name won't even matter after tonight, thrusts his sweaty, tattooed, somewhat chubby body over her.</p><p>"You like that, baby?" he asks with a grin, so sure that he's man enough to please her. If only that was the case. If he could at least get her off, then tonight wouldn't be such a wash. She takes pity on him though. He has been very nice to her, and it's not like he's intentionally a shitty date.</p><p>"Yeah…" she halfheartedly answers. His fragile male ego probably can't handle the truth, and she really doesn't feel like making a huge deal out of this. It's just her feeling herself again, and the sooner this ends, the sooner she can go back to hopelessly trying to fill the hole that remains empty.</p><p>Uh, a metaphorical soul hole. Not…</p><p>Anyway, she thinks she might be off the hook, but then he decides to try and keep the dirty talk going. Gah. "Yeah?" he parrots, still grinning like an idiot, totally oblivious to her ennui. Which is fine, really. She'd rather he think things are fine then make him suffer for her own shortcomings. Even if his coming is rather short.</p><p>"Uh huh," she simply utters, hoping he'll finally stop. Thankfully, he's too caught up in his orgasmic pleasure to say anything else to make this even more uncomfortable.</p><p>"I'm getting close."</p><p>So much for not making things worse. Jazz can't help but cringe at the thought of him climaxing, but not so much because she's lost the attraction she had to his boring ass. No, it's something even worse. If he finishes inside, well… she might get pregnant. And god forbid she end up carrying this guy's kid. Sure, she's on the pill, and that might be enough to stop a conception. She really doesn't want to risk it though.</p><p>That thought is upsetting enough, but then she thinks of something almost worse. How many times has she been through this now? How many guys, how many girls? They all end up the same. They start off good, good at least, and then they fuck, and then it's like… what now? When is she ever going to find a guy that can get her off <em>and </em>make her not worry about getting her pregnant? Will she ever find <em>the one?</em></p><p>She'll have plenty of time to dwell on that tonight as she tries to fall asleep though. For now, she just wants to make sure he won't slip up. "Are you gonna pull out?"</p><p>He doesn't even take offense! He just keeps grinning that same stupid grin as he thrusts more slowly, more forcefully. "Yeah, don't worry."</p><p>It's only a matter of seconds before he exits her most private place… only to jizz on her belly. Nice. Really cool, dude. She doesn't complain though. She just quietly resents the whole ordeal as he finishes making her fur all sticky. Fucking asshole.</p><p>It ends about as quickly as she expects though, and then he rolls over to let out a heavy sigh. "That was awesome!"</p><p>"Sure was," she lies, still trying to do her best to let him off easy. She covers her bare breasts with her blanket as she rolls over to avoid his gaze. If she really wanted to be a bitch, she could tell him how terrible it was, or how she never wants to see him again.</p><p>Then she gets to thinking. Would it really be so bitchy to tell him the truth? Wouldn't it be better if she just explained to him that the chemistry she thought they had came from a place of impulse? A spur of the moment thing? How it happens all the time for her? She's just a mess. A mess of a cat girl who just wants to fuck someone and have it mean something for once!</p><p>She never does though. The poor guy ends up passing out on her, and she just awkwardly lays in his bed for a moment to make sure he's really asleep. Watching him sleep for a bit, she really begins to feel like crap. He really isn't a bad guy, and maybe if she wasn't so stuck up, they could be "just friends." As if that ever works.</p><p>But they can't be friends. She's not the type of girl to have "just friends." Maybe he's good looking, but he's not <em>that </em>good looking. Maybe he's nice, but he's not <em>that </em>nice. He can be funny, he can be smart, he could even be a good lay (he sure as shit wasn't, but for her hypothetical wondering, she'll pretend he was). But the sad truth is… he just isn't enough. He doesn't have that spark, the remarkable catch that makes him click with her. He is not the one.</p><p>So with a heavy heart, she quietly leaves his bed, using his blanket to clean up the mess he made on her fur before getting dressed and leaving his apartment, never to return, never to say anything about how it just won't work. Which sucks. Not only because she feels bad for wasting his time, but also for selfishly just wanting to meet someone worthwhile. At this rate, she's almost ready to just give up.</p><p>Oh well. It's a problem for future Jazz, she decides. With that, she makes her way out the door, heading home for the night to just try and forget this ever happened.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>The next day...</em>
</p><p>A quiet cup of morning coffee is soon interrupted by the loud, distinct sound of Jazmin Quezada's smartphone ringing. She chose this particular ringer because she intentionally wanted it to be super loud and annoying, that way she couldn't not hear it. She regrets that choice now though as she lets out a groan, "Gruuuuh," and reaches for the thing. Is it one of her classmates from Comm 302 calling about their group project? Is it the DMV reminding her again that she needs to renew her license? Is it Mom?!</p><p>Thankfully, it's just her best girl Monica. One of like… well, maybe the only person on Earth she actually likes talking to. So she picks it up quickly and taps the green answer button. Before she can even get a word out, Monica excitedly asks her, "Hey girl! How was your date last night?"</p><p>Shit. She's ripping this band-aid off already, it looks like. Oh well, it was inevitable, Jazz decides. And hey, maybe talking about it will help her feel a little better. "Hey Monica. Uh, it was… How do I put it?..."</p><p>That's all it takes for her friend to realize the truth. "Oof. That bad?"</p><p>Hearing that makes Jazz sigh heavily. The memories of the night before flood her mind again; the laughs, the drinks, the sex, the leaving, all of it. "Well, that's the thing. It really wasn't," she starts with, now thinking of how to branch off from there.</p><p>Monica gives her a second, but when she doesn't follow up, she asks, "So what happened?"</p><p>Finally wrapping her head around where to go next, Jazz continues. "Well, it started off good. But then-"</p><p>"Okay, let me guess," Monica interrupts with a little chuckle. "You guys really hit it off, you went and had a fun time at the bar, he offered to take you home, you guys bumped uglies, and now you don't like him anymore. How far off am I?"</p><p>Rather than answer with words, Jazz just sighs. Dammit. This really does happen a lot, doesn't it? Every time she meets someone promising, they do something stupid to turn her off. With Sunny, it was her rose tattoo. With James, it was his weird thing for fanfiction. With Colin, it was just that he liked Coke instead of Pepsi. These small things make her realize that she doesn't like them as much as she thought, and then she ends up breaking it off and calling Monica to complain about things not working out.</p><p>She says nothing as this all weighs on her, and Monica takes the silence as a sufficient answer. "Jazzy…"</p><p>"Don't patronize me, okay?" Jazz snaps back, frustration getting to her. "I've been going through a hard time lately. School has me stressed, my parents are putting a lot of pressure on me, and I shouldn't have to feel guilty about having standards!"</p><p>"Your standards are literally, 'Are they hot?'" Monica jokes, earning a disappointed tone from her friend.</p><p>"Monica…"</p><p>"Okay, okay. Jokes aside, I'm not mad at you or anything. I get that you're playing the field or whatever," she assures Jazz, hoping to sound empathetic. But hearing it makes Jazz realize something. She doesn't want pity. She wants to just get things right.</p><p>"Well I'm mad at myself, honestly. It's not like I mean for these things to happen. It's just…"</p><p>Silence again. She thinks about the guys and girls she's hooked up with, how they all have gone the same damn way. Is something wrong with her? Is she a slut for being this way? It all makes her feel so crummy to think about, but what's really bad is when she starts to think about why she's really so sad about it all.</p><p>Her silence does more than words again, and Monica reads the room. "Just what?"</p><p>As hard as it is to admit, Jazz swallows her pride and confesses the truth. If she can talk to anyone about this, it's her best friend. "I know it sounds stupid, but I'd kind of like to find 'the one' you know? That special someone…"</p><p>She feels so stupid and childish for thinking it, let alone saying it out loud. Life isn't some Disney movie. People don't have soulmates, they just get lucky long enough to stay together with people for longer than a few months. Even so, she's tired of feeling so down on her luck. She's tired of one night stands. She's tired of having morning coffee alone. And she's tired of always bothering Monica with her problems.</p><p>Sex should be great, not depressing. Nights out at the bar should be nights in watching movies. She should wake up next to someone that she feels like snuggling with, not getting away from. It's all starting to seem impossible though…</p><p>Monica takes this in a little longer before composing her response. Thankfully, she's much more encouraging than her feline friend anticipated. "We all do, babe. Shit, I had a dream the other night Roman Reigns came to my door with roses and asked to invest in a timeshare with me. I don't even like him in real life!"</p><p>Hearing this makes Jazz laugh. Not just because Monica has a way of making people laugh, but because… it gives her a little hope. It's nice to know that maybe she has a chance, or at the very least, she's not the only one who gets down about the feelings of a hopeless romantic. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it's not that stupid."</p><p>"It's not. So stop being so hard on yourself," Monica insists firmly and lovingly. However, her tone shifts drastically as she checks her phone to realize something that slipped her mind. "Oh shit! I almost forgot. I don't think I'll be able to hang out today. One of the guys in our group project for Micro is trying to say he has COVID, so now the rest of us are meeting up to carry his deadweight."</p><p>"Damn, that sucks," Jazz tells her. Group projects are the worst, so she can feel her there. That, and it's kind of nice to hear about her problems for once instead of gushing about her own. "Good luck, girl."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sorry though," Monica apologizes. But Jazz doesn't take it to heart.</p><p>"Eh, don't be," she tells her, and then her mind takes her to somewhere she's neglected as well. In the living room of her apartment, there's a three seat graphite colored couch that used to be really freakin' cozy at one point. But then an unfortunate incident happened, and now there's a big tear in the side of it and a busted sideboard. "I really should use today to go look into getting a new couch anyway."</p><p>"Hahaha! The fuckin' couch!" Monica laughs, and Jazz just plays along.</p><p>"Stop it. Stop laughing."</p><p>Monica does just that soon enough, and she sends her on her way with love and tenderness. "Alright boo, I'll let you go. Try to hang in there, okay?"</p><p>"I should say the same to you," Jazz tells her with a smile. "Talk to ya later M,"</p><p>"Love ya Jazzy!" Monica ends the call with, and again, Jazz finds herself alone in her apartment with her morning coffee. The talk with her friend did actually work in making her feel better though, and with her previously booked day now free for whatever, she decides to make herself useful and go into the exciting world of furniture shopping!</p><p>She looks back to her couch, the one she used to really like. Seeing it reminds her of her situation, but she won't let it bring her down again. Nope, not today.</p><p>"You got this, Jazz," she tells herself. And after a cat-like stretch and one last sip of coffee, she makes her way to the door to grab a jacket and be on her way.</p><hr/><p>It's a quiet day in the city today. A cool, crisp autumn wind breezes through the air, keeping Jazz company as she walks to the local Rental King to see what kind of furniture they'll have today. It's the same place she bought her last couch, the one that she really, really liked before it's untimely demise, and it's only a twenty minute walk into town, so she didn't even have to take the bus! Great day so far, Jazz.</p><p>She keeps her head up high as she walks, taking in the sights of the beautiful urban world around her. Everyone is already preparing for Christmas, not even letting November get a chance to get started. It suits her though. She always did love the seasons. Holiday spirit isn't the only thing in the autumn air today, though. It would seem that love has also permeated the winds as she passes a few couples along the sidewalk.</p><p>Some hold hands, some just laugh together. There's even a girl that rests her head on her man's shoulder as they make their walk into town. It's a really nice sight, surely. But for every inch of Jazz's heart that gets coated with warmth, there's shades of blue that give it color. Why can't she have something like that? When will she come to have such companionship?</p><p>She shakes her head of those thoughts quickly. Today she needs to forget about that stuff and worry about more important things. Maybe she'll do homework when she gets home, or finally check out that new Owl Home show everyone keeps telling her about. Anything besides feeling sorry for herself!</p><p>But first, she has to find a new couch. While it's doubtful one can replace the greatness of her current sofa, she has to have one that can actually be sat on. And occasionally slept on, of course.</p><p>Finally, she arrives at Rental King. Thankfully the place seems dead empty today, almost like something out of Silent Hill. It doesn't bother her though as she walks inside to see that the place really is empty of shoppers. Heck, it doesn't even look like any of the employees are on the sales floor. She doesn't get too excited, though. They might be in the back, and they'll hear the doorbell. So she just moseys on in, enjoying the sound of cliché 80s pop that all stores have to play to keep from being sued.</p><p>At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything she's looking for. Her fur makes it hard to keep anything leather (and honestly, she still gets tempted to scratch it with her nails). She doesn't want anything green or black, it just won't fit in with her scheme. She doesn't have much more time to stand and stare though as the sound of a second doorbell chimes from the back of the store.</p><p>Through the door in the back, a young man of slender build walks back in from the cold. He shakes himself of the bitter chills as he looks around to see who joins him in the building, and his eyes soon catch Jazz to meet her with an amusingly unprepared expression. "I'll be right with you, Miss," the man tells her, and she just shoots him a little smile before he disappears into his office.</p><p>Through the blinds of the window, she watches him for a moment, getting a better look at him. His hair is a dark, dark brown, and he has a little stubble on his face from where he hasn't shaved in a couple days. The buttons of his blue polo are undone, and he quickly fixes them upon realizing this. He lets out a deep breath, like he's amping himself up to get into a game he absolutely has to win. It's kind of funny to watch, truthfully, but Jazz decides not to show it too much with the exception of a little smile.</p><p>The man makes his way back onto the showroom floor with his little grin, like he knows there's just something so funny about having to sell furniture to people. "What can I help you with today?" he asks, his white teeth and amber eyes really standing out. Not in a bad way, not at all. There's just something remarkable about them for young Jazz Quezada.</p><p>"Well, I'm looking for a new couch."</p><p>"You're in luck! We happen to sell those," he jokingly replies, earning him a little laugh from his customer. "My name is Ying."</p><p>"Jazz," she happily responds. She can't help herself. She checks to see if there's a ring on his finger. None. With the way her luck has been lately, she doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but she decides not to overthink it for now.</p><p>"Well Jazz, let's see what we can do for you today," Ying tells her, stepping closer to the couches they have on the floor. "What are you looking for from your couch?"</p><p>"Well, nothing leather. I know that much," she starts with, and he nods.</p><p>"Alright, no leather. Got it," he says before thinking it over for a second. "Would you be interested in something that reclines?"</p><p>"Uh, not really, no."</p><p>"So something kind of standard, you might say?" he speculates with an inquisitive look on his face. Truth be told, he's pretty darn cute. Not in the supermodel, Timothy Olyphant way; but cute nonetheless. He has a boyish charm, but also seasoned. It makes it easy to work with him. He's probably very approachable outside the office, too.</p><p>At the very least, she's happy he's helping her today instead of some grizzly used car salesman. She tries to think more about why she is here to begin with, and with his guidance, she begins to consider something she hadn't really thought about until now. "Well, now that you ask, do you have anything that pulls out?"</p><p>Fuck. He looks at her with this blank expression, kind of like he's trying to decide if she was really asking about a pull out couch, or if she was making some sort of innuendo. She wasn't! That totally wasn't her intention! She just thought about how sometimes she falls asleep watching TV, or how her friends stay over sometimes and have to sleep on the sofa! She wasn't trying to flirt, of course. She just met the guy!</p><p>By the grace of some higher power though, it appears he buys into that notion. Or at the very least, he decides to ignore it to focus on getting his sale. "I do, actually! We have a nice Darton set in the back. It's a graphite gray with a chaise."</p><p>There's a lot of things that make it easy to say yes to that. His eyes are a beautiful shade of golden brown that she's never seen before, and they're soft to see. His smile is casual and calm, not overbearing or trying too hard like this is some sport. Everything about him just comes off so aloof and carefree, like he would be awesome company to have a beer with or just talk about… stuff.</p><p>A chaise would be pretty cool, too. She could cram all of her excess blankets in that bitch. But one word above all stands out and makes her puddy in his fingers. One word wraps this package up in a pretty pink bow. Or in this case, the color and word in question: graphite.</p><p>"Show me," she answers, and he simply responds with a grin before leading her to the backroom.</p><hr/><p>"Okay, okay… I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to laugh," Jazz says through her laughter. For the past thirty or so minutes, she and Ying have been sitting on the graphite Darton sofa in the backroom, talking and laughing about all sorts of things. She's told him a little about her International Relations major and some of the classes she has to take, he's told her about his climb from lowly Walk-Mart loader to Rental King Sales Manager. She's discussed her parents and how they're both incredible for helping her out so much while also being unbearably nosey about her life. He's in turn shared stories about his friends and the kind of crazy things they've gotten him into.</p><p>Somewhere along the way, he made her comfortable enough to talk about some of her more recent, more… intimate affairs. It worried her at first, but there hasn't been judgment in his eyes. He hasn't said anything crass about her fling with Julian, or anything mean about her dates with Chris. If anything, he's seemed to enjoy hearing her stories. It makes her feel warm, it makes her feel welcome.</p><p>So when the topic of her old couch came up, she decided to brave into this territory by opening up to him. However, as he begins to already start laughing at her expense, she somewhat second guesses herself.</p><p>"I can't promise that! You're saying not to laugh so I know it must be hilarious!" Ying tells her, and she just does her best to hide the fact that she's already blushing.</p><p>"Okay, well at least don't laugh too much," she asks, and he just nods and gestures to her to go on. Against all her better judgment, she does. If only because she likes to see him smile. "So… I met this girl. Her name was Tasha."</p><p>"Mhm, I like where this is going," he teasingly says, and she just sneers before continuing.</p><p>"So, we really hit it off one night when I was at the club with her and some friends. We had a few shots, one thing led to another, and we went back to my place."</p><p>"Oh boy," he adds with the same teasing demeanor, and she playfully swats his arm.</p><p>"Stop!" she orders, and he ebbs on the playfulness enough to hear the rest of her story. "Anyway, we were getting pretty frisky. But she was getting pretty rough, I'm not gonna lie," Jazz proceeds, but she hiccups a little as she tries not to laugh too hard remembering that night. "I tried telling her to settle down a little, but she decides that she wants to actually toss me onto the couch, right?"</p><p>"Oh my god," Ying comments, his imagination of where this story could be heading already being enough to tickle his funny bone. Jazz presses on though, despite her own urges to burst into laughter.</p><p>"Yeah, so I'm smacking her and telling her, 'Don't do it! I love that couch!' But what does she do? She tries tossing me onto the bitch anyway!"</p><p>At this point, Ying is turning red in the face because he's laughing so hard. He slaps his knee a few times, trying to control himself. "Haha, oh man. So is that how it busted up?" he manages to ask through his tears.</p><p>And at this point, Jazz has to laugh along. It's just too fun not to. "Oh no, here's the best part! When she tried hauling me over, she trips and falls with me in her arms! So we both go crashing into the thing, and the next thing I know, the seat is all busted up, and there's this big ass tear in the cushion!"</p><p>Together, they laugh so hard that they feel as if they need stitched up like her old couch. For a few seconds, nothing else matters in the world. Not college, not making a sales quota, not loneliness or ennui. Just two new friends having a good laugh on the seat of a couch. It's really nice too. For Jazz, it's a nice deviation from her usual time spent with guys. He isn't trying to get touchy feely with her, he isn't trying too hard to impress her either. He's just listening to the stories she has to tell, trusting her enough to share his own and show that he has vested interest. Honestly? She could really get used to this.</p><p>Even so, she worries he might explode from laughing so hard, so she does her best to try and ease him down. "I told you not to laugh so much!"</p><p>"I mean, how am I supposed to not laugh? That's hilarious!" Ying insists, still laughing.</p><p>It's really charming to watch, too. He isn't like the other guys who pretend to be things they aren't. He isn't like the girls who act all big and bad or like they don't have any real feelings. He's just being himself, a regular guy taking a break from his eight hour shift to have a laugh. "Well, looking back, it is kind of funny," Jazz admits, if only to let him know she's on his side.</p><p>Eventually, he calms down enough to start speaking coherently again. His face returns to its normal color, and he wipes a tear from his eye. Thankfully his smile stays adorned on his face though. "Hey, look at this way. You're here with me now sharing a laugh about it, and I'm about to hook you up with an even better couch. It's a win-win!"</p><p>"For you maybe. My wallet isn't winning," Jazz jokes. But Ying just playfully knuckles her shoulder.</p><p>"Hey, you're getting this thing for a really good price. I was actually thinking about buying it myself, that's why I had it hidden back here!"</p><p>"Ah, well now I'll feel bad. I can't buy it now," she furthers, folding her arms as if she is serious. She isn't, of course. She's just having more fun with her new friend, making it obvious with the way her lips keep curving with a little smile akin to a schoolgirl's.</p><p>Ying doesn't falter though. He just meets her sarcasm with some wit of his own. "Come on… We've been sitting here, you're all comfy in it. And now I'm gonna have to tell customers that your butt has been all over it. You have to buy it now!"</p><p>That damn smile of his. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it; she's quickly falling for it. Just when it seemed like she was out of hope with this whole love business, here Ying comes out of nowhere to make her reduce to a puddle once more. The night before has seemingly been erased, the matter of the couch debacle has become nothing more than a punchline. And if she's lucky… maybe he's feeling the same way.</p><p>But she's been down this road before. She doesn't want to get her hopes up for something that can't be. So she thinks about this carefully as she stares back to his amber eyes, searching in them for a sign that maybe she should take a leap of faith. In them, she doesn't see hesitation. She doesn't find a reason to hold back. He seems to be enjoying himself too, and well, why would he pass up the chance to be with someone like her? It might be brash to think, but she knows she's attractive. She knows he must at least think so. So what does she have to lose by maybe working with that?</p><p>She thinks about how to approach this carefully. She doesn't want to be too obvious, but she wants to give him enough of a hint that she might be interested. There's a little breathing room to work with as they both avert their gazes to instead look to the floor, so she works with it to wrack her brain around a strategy.</p><p>It doesn't take long. She comes up with something bulletproof. "Can I- Can I ask you something?" she coyly begins. It lets him know she's serious, and if he is in fact attracted to her, he's bound to read between the lines. Surely.</p><p>"Sure," he answers with a grin. Perfect. Exactly the answer she hoped for. Even so, she feels her heart race a little as she thinks of how to articulate the words. Maybe there isn't anything to lose, really. She did just meet this guy today, after all. But what if it could work out? What if he just might be that special someone she can take a chance with? She has to know, and there's only one way to find out.</p><p>However, there are many ways to get there, and she decides to take this route. "Do you have a girlfriend?" she asks, knowing the answer. He would have brought it up by now if he did. A guy as good looking as him is either taken or not, and there's doubtedly any grey area. Fortunately, her bet was a safe one, and it shows before he even says a word as his smirk becomes a little flustered.</p><p>"Nah. I don't really have time for that sort of thing right now," he answers, nervously rubbing the back of his neck before trying to play it cool. Excellent. For once, everything is going Jazz's way. She doesn't get too cocky, though. She keeps her emotions in check as she braves forward with the next step in her plan.</p><p>"Really? I mean, you're super nice. You're really funny," she says to him, hoping to butter him up enough to give him the confidence to make a move. It's girl/guy code, after all. The guy is supposed to ask for the date.</p><p>She isn't sure how well her words worked though. While Ying keeps smiling at her, there's almost a sense of defeat in his demeanor as he speaks up again. "Well, I appreciate that. But you know how it is. I wanna be able to take care of myself before I get into something I won't be able to handle."</p><p>Well, she didn't foresee that. Is he being serious? Is he really biding his time? Or maybe he just hasn't picked up on her clues. She could have played her cards better, in hindsight. It can't be that he hasn't thought about asking her out… she just knows it. But what's getting in the way? That's the thing she isn't sure of.</p><p>She doesn't let all of the wind fall from her sails though. Maybe he just needs more time to think this over. "I can respect that, actually."</p><p>Unfortunately, an expected awkward silence comes to the air. Where there was laughter and certainty, now there's confusion. Nothing wrong, really. But it would be more fun like before. Jazz tries to think of what to say now, or if she should say anything at all. She tried putting herself out there once already. Would another attempt be too desperate? Too much? She doesn't know. So instead, she just keeps quiet, letting her eyes fall to her lap as she waits to see what Ying might come up with.</p><p>Her faith in him is rewarded. Belatedly, he stretches out with a little sigh, then he begins to speak again. "So, super smooth transition time. But if you're seriously interested in buying this thing, I can get it delivered to your apartment as early as tomorrow. If that works for you, of course."</p><p>Oh right, she was buying a couch. She remembers that now. However, that isn't the thing that perks her up. No, what really gets her to liven up is the way his eyes look back at her, almost like he's finally found a way to address her advances. He told her that he could deliver it to her. At her <em>apartment.</em> All sorts of things could go right in that scenario, and she let him know that she's all for it. "Really? That'd be great!"</p><p>Her enthusiasm is matched with his own brand of relaxed eagerness. "Yup. You live on Inkuru Street, right?"</p><p>"Yeah. In the white apartment complex," he makes sure to remind him. "I have a class first thing in the morning, but I should be home around 2:00."</p><p>"I can definitely make that work," he says with a sly nod, taking a moment to draw out their mutual gaze. Oh yeah, he's definitely got a plan, she can see it now. She doesn't say a word or do anything to stir the pot, though. If he has a plan, she wants nothing more than to help it come to fruition. So quiet she stays as they make their way out of the backroom and into the sales floor again, and as they finish up her payment for the couch, all she thinks about is how he'll be at her home tomorrow, his big strong arms helping her bring it into her living room.</p><p>Once the payment is taken and he hands her her receipt, she meets his eyes once more. In them, there's still this harboring of contemplation, a sign that he's thinking the same things as her. Her heart flutters at the thought that he might just be the one, and that she might finally find what she's looking for as early as tomorrow.</p><p>"So… I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" she asks, intentionally being timid. She wants him to know that she can be vulnerable, especially for a guy like him.</p><p>And of course he smiles back. :You bet."</p><p>She doesn't want to look away. Part of her wants to say fuck tomorrow and ask him to go back to the backroom with her now. But good things come to those who wait, she's learning, and her notion is cemented by the sound of the doorbell chiming behind her. Another customer has come, and they are no longer alone.</p><p>She turns to see an older man and woman making their way in, a tell tale that her time here is over. She'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon for this new boy she's sweet on to come back into her life. With a heavy heart, she accepts this, and she offers Ying one last smile and waves farewell before leaving. "Buh-bye."</p><p>He just smiles and waves back, his eyes doing all the talking for him. Oh yeah, he's got a plan. She just knows it.</p><hr/><p>"Is it 2:00 yet?" That's all Jazz can think as she lays in bed, daydreaming about the day ahead of her tomorrow. It isn't because of her class meeting, hell no. And as great as it is to finally be getting a new couch, it isn't that either. No, it's the knowledge that the handsome young Ying will be at her doorstep tomorrow, ready and willing for a chance at something special.</p><p>Jazz is the type of person to have realistic expectations. It's just something she's been conditioned to living the life that she has. Coming from her family and having her college experience, she knows to be leveled. It's the only way to truly be happy and successful. Even so, she likes to take her mind to more adventurous places. Who doesn't? And tonight, all she can think about is what kind of adventures she could have with her new boy crush.</p><p>The likely scenario is that he will arrive a little late, and he'll try to play it off cool as he apologizes for his tardiness. She'll say it's fine, he'll start to bring in the couch, she'll offer to help, and they'll hit it off with some small talk and good conversation before he finally works up the nerve to ask her out. Probably at the end of the delivery, of course. That's the likely scenario. The safe bet.</p><p>However… as she lies in her cozy, frilly bed tonight, she finds her fur standing up all over her body as she thinks of other more interesting scenarios. Ones where he Ying is a little more confident, arrogant even. Ones where he knows what he wants, and he knows just how to get it. Ones where he might not wait until after the delivery to set things in motion with her…</p><p>What if they get the couch inside, and he starts wrapping his arms around her slender waist? What if he holds her close, letting her feel his erection from his pants bulging against her ass? She might just have to trickle her tail up his belly, just to tease him a little. Then she might have to turn around and let him start kissing her, and let him start moving his hands to the other more delicate parts of her body. Her breasts, her crotch~</p><p>Gosh, just thinking about it makes her so excited. As much as she would like to go to bed a little early to be well rested for tomorrow, her endorphins just won't let her. Her heart races, her womanhood aches for a touch. All because of her thoughts of Ying having his way with her.</p><p>"Oh Ying," she moans as she begins to slide her hand down to her panties. At first she just rubs the outside of them, but the more she dives into her fantasy, the harder it is not to give herself more. Next, Ying throws her onto the new couch. He throws his shirt off, and he unbuckles his pants to start showing off his sexy manhood. Before long, he mounts her, and he helps her get out of her clothes as he plants kisses down her neck and chest.</p><p>That's when her fingers creep into the borderline of her underwear. She slides them gently down to her wetness, carefully rubbing as her feminine juices leak out. She bites her lip, she uses her free hand to grab onto her pillow, grasping it tightly as she puts more force into touching herself. Her breaths hitch and shudder with every touch, with every second spent pretending that Ying is the one pleasuring her.</p><p>He'll use his tongue, his lips, his hands, his fingers. Every inch of her body will be his to discover, and when he's ready, she'll let him consummate their love. He'll fuck her so hard, so good. She'll get off over and over again for him.</p><p>"Oh god. Oh god," she repeats as she reaches her climax. She rubs harder and faster, stimulating her senses with thoughts of Ying finishing inside of her. They can do it together~</p><p>"Ying!" she cries out, and with that, she feels the best release as she completes her orgasm. Her body shakes, her skin shivers, every nerve in her body trembles.</p><p>Her breasts rise and fall as she catches her breaths. If she managed to get off so hard just by messing around on her own, what kind of orgasm could Ying bring her? Will she find out tomorrow? Ever? She remembers to have realistic expectations in regards to the former, but the latter might happen. Someday, maybe.</p><p>Until then, she has a long day tomorrow. And the sooner she falls asleep, the sooner it will come. And now that she's tired herself out, it won't be so hard to shut her eyes and drift into the world of dreams.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>The next day…</em>
</p><p>Jazz can't remember the last time a day took so long to pass. Her only Monday class is early morning Psych, and she almost skipped it, quite frankly. But it's time she can use to work on her Comm homework, so she decided to go ahead and go, if only to help tide her over until 2:00.</p><p>2:00, the time that Ying is supposed to deliver her new couch. More importantly, the time that he is supposed to come over and let her know what's really going on. Because, while she really wants to believe that he likes her the same way she likes him, she can't be sure until he says so. And if she can't be sure, there's time for doubts to cloud her mind.</p><p>It was inevitable, of course. But it makes it no easier to consider that, maybe he doesn't feel the same way. Maybe she doesn't find her attractive for some reason. Or maybe he was really serious about not wanting a relationship right now. That would make sense. It would suck, but it would make sense. It would be a little easier to accept than him just not liking her.</p><p>It's really hard not to wonder these things as she gets out of her boring morning lecture to take the bus back to her apartment. She tries listening to music, but it all reminds her of him. She tries to think of other things like Monica, her parents, or her schoolwork, but it does no good. The only thing she can think about is her 2:00 appointment, and the man that's supposed to come to her door with more than just a couch.</p><p>It's even worse as she arrives at her apartment. At only 11:47, she still has over two hours until he's supposed to show up. And that's if he even gets here on time. To help pass time, she works on cleaning around the apartment, going over things two or three times just to make sure they're really clean. Heaven forbid her man candy get here and see that she's some sort of slob, after all. She checks notes for her school projects, she even balances her budget for the rest of the month.</p><p>None of these things have much heart behind them, though. All she thinks about is Ying, and how this appointment will go. She's dwelled on the negatives enough. She's considered how he may not be that into her. But what happens if he is? What happens if he really does make a move today? What then? She's never really considered what it will be like to be in an actual relationship. One where there's more to dates than just sex and partying, one where conversations are real and meaningful. What's it like constantly having someone to depend on? Conversely, what's it like having to always be there for the person you care most about?</p><p>It's all so new to her, and while some of it scares her to think about, there's mostly excitement and pining. It would be nice to have someone to watch her shows with. Or someone to go to lunch with every Tuesday between Comm and Micro. Mom and Dad would probably stop pressuring her so much too. They've thrown around questions about her love life here and there, after all.</p><p>Thirty minutes pass. Then an hour. Then two. Before long, it's finally 2:00, and she's used the time to think about everything from wedding vows to what kind of liquor to buy in case things go south. Her heart races with every second. Soon, Ying will be here, and it will be put up or shut up. Does she look alright? She checks the mirror to be sure. Is the apartment presentable? After three clean overs, she's satisfied with it.</p><p>As 2:05 approaches, she finds herself staring at her old couch. It's kind of funny, really. In a way, her switching out this broken down sofa with something new is kind of like a talisman for the next chapter of her life. Today could just very well be the day that love finds her, and she'll have a brand new place to sleep and sit to help her keep this in mind. She may not have to wander around for something real anymore, she may finally be able to rest her head knowing that she finally has the one.</p><p>It's 2:08 when the doorbell rings.</p><p>She nearly has a heart attack as she looks to the door, realizing that now she has to actually go open it and let Ying inside. This is it, time to be a big girl and accept change. With the steps she slowly takes to the door, she realizes that the prospect of growing is actually terrifying as hell. She's so used to the way things are, going from one lover to another with easy way outs in between. But nothing worthwhile is ever easy. She knows that, and she embraces it as a smile dons on her face knowing that this may really be the beginning of something wonderful.</p><p>Her smile wanes when she opens the door though.</p><p>"Ms. Quezada?" a strange man with an accent asks her. She's never seen him before in her life, but judging from the fact that the man she was expecting wore the same shirt yesterday, she realizes he works with her local Rental King.</p><p>"Yes?" she quietly answers with visible confusion.</p><p>The strange man looks back to his box truck for a moment before signaling for his partner to go ahead and drop the tailgate. When he moves his hand, Jazz can't help but get her hopes up thinking that maybe Ying is the other guy, but she's disappointed again to see that it's just some little yellow dude with a Coke shirt. What. Is going. On? More importantly…</p><p>"Where is Ying?" she asks, hardly even recognizing that she just said this out loud for the strange man to hear.</p><p>He meets her question with a careless shrug. "He stayed at the store."</p><p>Stayed at the store. He stayed at the store. Hearing those words makes Jazz's heart absolutely sink. Like the ball dropping on New Year's, it just collapses in her chest, almost heavily enough to make her stagger. She somehow keeps standing though, despite her head and stomach both becoming woozy.</p><p>After spending these last twenty something hours doing nothing but living for the idea of finally having a chance at love, her hopes are whisked- no, blended away in a moment's notice. Not only was she wrong about things, but he couldn't even be bothered to come for the delivery.</p><p>Her stupor is very real, but so is the man standing in front of her, looking at her like he's more impatient than anything. "So uh, where do you want this thing?" he asks with his accent, but she doesn't say a word. She has this thousand mile stare that goes nowhere; she only sees blue through her mind's eye. It starts to concern the strange man a little, so he tries again. "Miss?"</p><p>She's able to muster enough wherewithal to at least deal with the matter of finishing this stupid delivery. "Uhm… just… just bring it into the living room."</p><p>He simply nods before going to help his partner. Their movements are practically motions in white to her though as she makes her way into the kitchen to just sit at her barstool and think. Think about how everything she hoped for, everything she wanted from today… it's all just been shattered. Busted up like the board in her old couch.</p><p>She watches as the two workers haul that piece of junk out of her apartment, leaving a big empty space on the floor where the new couch will go. What was supposed to be the beginning of a new chapter in her life now just feels like an empty page, a blank space where some guy's name will just fade to nothingness just like her lover from the night before. Which really fucking sucks, quite frankly. What did she do to deserve being stood up like this?</p><p>The more she dwells on it though, the less angry she is and the more depressed it makes her. Ying didn't do anything wrong. In fact, he dodged a bullet by avoiding someone like her. A mess of a girl who just moves on from one thing to the next because nothing is ever enough to satisfy.</p><p>Eventually, the two men get the sofa right where it needs to be. The guy with the accent cautiously makes his way over to Jazz afterwards, pussyfooting his way around speaking to her again. "So, there she be," he begins, and she almost doesn't even hear him. But his eyes become distracting enough to somehow break her of her self-pitying reverie, and she looks to him with a deadness in her gaze. "Will that be all?" the guy asks now.</p><p>It takes her a moment to fully come to and come up with even a simple answer. "Yeah. Thanks," is all she says. It works enough for Mr. Accent and his little yellow friend though, and they soon are gone away as quickly as they came, leaving her alone in her apartment with the stillness of her new couch, and the sturdy reminder of how everything here is lifeless except for a ceiling fan slowly rotating above.</p><p>It takes her a few seconds, but once it registers that she's alone, she stops staring at her new couch long enough to go and actually make herself comfortable on it. At first she just slides her hand over the seat where Ying sat beside her, the same place where he traveled into her heart only to turn away moments later. There's no way to tell he was ever there, the couch is pristine as can be, truth be told. In a way, it's a relief. In another, it's heartbreaking.</p><p>But the longer it weighs on her, the longer she comes to terms with the way things transpired… the sooner she accepts that she should just be used to this feeling by now. If anything, she brought it on herself. Men and women have come and gone, and it's always been because of her own selfishness. So what if the other guy is the one who made that choice this time? In the end, it's all the same. She's here, she's alone, and all she has to show for it is a new fucking couch.</p><p>Which, now that it's in her apartment, doesn't even look graphite.</p><p>The color doesn't matter now. Nothing about the whole thing does. Her tiredness and feelings of woe outmatch all of it, and in spite of everything, now all she wants to do is lay on the thing and just forget today ever happened. Or the day before. And the day before that. It won't be so easy, but hey, nothing worthwhile ever is. Once she's able to forget, she can pick herself up and try a little harder to do better going forward.</p><p>Until then, she curls up onto the couch, makes herself comfortable, and has a good cry.</p><p>THE END</p>
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